Kitchen hood ventilator

ABSTRACT

A kitchen hood ventilator comprising a casing including a warm air inlet, a cool air inlet, and an air outlet. A filter is mounted in the casing in the path of air flowing through the warm air inlet, and a cool air duct extends through the casing from the cool air inlet to a cool air outlet. The kitchen hood ventilator further includes a propeller fan for moving warm air through the filter and from moving cool air through the cool air duct. The propeller fan is driven by a fan motor mounted in the path of cool air flowing through the cool air duct. This permits the use of a relatively small motor that operates at substantially full power when rotating the propeller fan.

United States Patent [151 3,695,164 Stalker 51 Oct. 3, 1972 [541 KITCHEN noon VENTILATOR Pri Examiner-Edward J. Michael I ames may [72] nventor J E Stalker, Richardson Tex Anomey mchards Hams & Hubbard [73] Assignee: Home Metal Products Company,

Plano, Tex. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Aug. 21, 1970 A kitchen hood ventilator comprising a casing including a warm air inlet, a cool air inlet, and an air outlet. [21] Appl' 65867 A filter is mounted in the casing in the path of air flowing through the warm air inlet, and a cool air duct 521 US. Cl. ..98/ll5 K extends through the casing from the cool air inlet to a [511 int Cl. "m 11/02 cool air outlet The kitehen heed ventilator further n- 58 Field ofSearchLm; ..98/115, 115 K cludes a Propeller fan for moving Warm air through the filter and from moving cool air through the cool air duct. The propeller fan is driven by a fan motor [56] I References Cm mounted in the path of cool air flowing through the UNITED STATES PATENTS cool air duct. This permits the use of a relatively small 3,387,434 6/1968- Stalker ..55/47o giggflfi gflgggj t jf fun when 3,496,704 2/ 1970 Bandlow..' ..98/ 115 K 3,089,479 1 Claim, 2 Drawing figures 5/1963 Perl ..98/1 15 K X PATENTED BT I 3.695. 164

2 INVENTOR:

JAMES E. STALKER ATTORNEYS having a filter mounted in a slide-outdrawer, etc. A

problemcommonto-afl of the various types of kitchen hood ventilators is the operating temperature of the motor, which must be maintained at-a relatively low levelinorder to'comply with Underwriterslsaboratories regulations.

The present invention comprises akitehen hood ventilator includin'g a-cool air ductthat'extends from 'a cool air inlet to a coolair outlet. The fan motor of the kitchenhood ventilator is mounted in the coolair: outlet of the cool air duct. The fanof the hood ventilator draws cool airthroughthe duct and over'the motor. This cools the motor and thereb'y 'permitstheuse of a relatively small motor that-operates" at substantially full capacit during the operation of the fan.

A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a kitchenxh'o'od'ventilator'employing the present inventionin which certain parts have beenbr'oken away more clearly to illustrate certain features of the inventi'omand' FIG. 2 isa' sectional view of thekitchen hood ventilato'r'shown inFlG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, a kitchen: hood ventilator 1'0 employing the present invention isshown. The ventilator includes a casing: 12 comprising atop wall- 14, a front wall-16,-'a-bottomwall 18,a'-rear wall 20 and a pair of opposed-side walls 22and 2A. The casing 12 has a plurality of openings formed in it including a warmjair' inlet 26, a cool air inlet 28, and an air outlet 30. A door 32 is supported in the casing 12 for pivotal movement between the open position shown in the drawing and a-closed position wherein thedoor3'2- seals the warm air inlet-26. I

The kitchen hood ventilator 10 further includes a dual filter unit 34- which is supported in the casing 12 opening 40 and operates to move warm air into the warm airinlet 26, through the opening 40, through the space between the bracket 38 andthe top wall 14, and out the air outlet 30. Thepropeller fan 42 is supported and driven by-a fanmotor 44 andisconnected to the motor 44 by a shaft. The motor is-inturn driven by conventional 115 Volt, 60 Hertz line current, andis controlled by a suitable switch (not shown).

In aocordancewith'the preferred embodiment of the invention, the fanmotor 44'is a relatively small,rela tivelylow output power motor thatoperates at substantially full capacity when drivingthe propeller fan 42. Motors of this type normally operate at temperatures higher than the maximum operating temperature permitted by the regulations of the Underwriters Laboratoriesrelating to kitchenhood ventilators. To this end, the kitchen hoodventilator l0 includes-'a cool air duct 48 whichiextends from the cool air inlet 28 along the rear wall 20of the'casing l2andparallelthebottom wall'ldthereof to acool airoutlet'50. The propeller fan 42ofthe=ventilator l0-moves cool air. through the cool air'inleti28, through the cool air duct 48, through the coolair outlet: 58,.over the fan motor 44, through the opening40, through thespace between the partition 38 andthe'top'wallld, and outlthe air'outlet30. The cool air flowing through thecool air duct 48 reduces the operatingtemperature of the fanmotor 44 to an acceptable level and thereby permits the use of a-relatively small, inexpensive motor inthekitchen hood ventilator 10.

In use, the kitchen hood ventilator 10 is mounted over the cookingarea of a kitchen so that the warm air inlet 26-receives warm air, fumes,odors, and the like from thecookingv area. This positions thecool air inlet 28 of the filter unit 10: toreceive relatively cool air from the kitchen cabinet positioned above the filter unit, through the kitchen wall mounted behind the filter unit,.etc. Alternatively, the'cool. air inlet 28 may be connected to a suitable duct extending outside the kitchen.

The kitchen hood ventilator shown in the drawing comprisesa recirculating ventilator thatreturns air to a kitchenfollowing. the removal of grease, odors, etc. It will be=understood',however, that thepresent invention canbe'employedinkitchen hood ventilators of the exhaust type. In the latter case, the propeller fan directs air through an outlet form in the top-wall of the casing and intoaconventional exhaustduct.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the present invention comprises akitchen hood ventilator including a casinghavinga filter mounted inv it. Warm air is forced through the filter 'bya propeller fan that is drivenby a small, low output power motor. A cool air duct mounted in the casing directs cool air over the motor and into the propeller fan. By this means, the operating temperature of the fan motor is reduced to anacceptable level.

Although only one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and described herein, it will be understood that theinvention is:not'limited to the embodiment disclosed but is capable of rearrangement,

filter means mounted in the casing in the path of warm air flowing through the warm air inlet thereof;

a cool air duct mounted in the casing and extending from the cool air inlet downwardly along the rear wall of the casing and then parallel to and above the bottom wall of the casing to a cool air outlet;

a propeller fan mounted in the opening of the partition for moving warm air through the warm air inlet, the filter and the air outlet and for moving cool air through the cool air inlet, the cool air duct having predetermined load characteristics; and 

1. A kitchen hood ventilator comprising: a casing including top and bottom walls, side walls, and a rear wall, and including a warm air inlet located adjacent the lower front corner, a cool air inlet located adjacent the upper rear corner, and an air outlet located adjacent the upper front corner; a partition mounted in the casing and extending between an opening and the air outlet of the casing; filter means mounted in the casing in the path of warm air flowing through the warm air inlet thereof; a cool air duct mounted in the casing and extending from the cool air inlet downwardly along the rear wall of the casing and then parallel to and above the bottom wall of the casinG to a cool air outlet; a propeller fan mounted in the opening of the partition for moving warm air through the warm air inlet, the filter and the air outlet and for moving cool air through the cool air inlet, the cool air duct having predetermined load characteristics; and a fan motor supported on the cool air duct in the cool air outlet thereof and therefore in the path of cool air flowing through the cool air duct under the action of the propeller fan, said motor for rotating the propeller fan and having predetermined output power characteristics, the load characteristics of the propeller fan and the output power characteristics of the fan motor being so interrelated that substantially the full capacity of the fan motor is required to rotate the propeller fan. 